I started on Blip on January 10, 2010 thanks to a suggestion by Pilipo and Connections that I try Blip. I've missed four days since then. I have also been back blipping so that I can look at my lifetime before I joined Blipfoto. I am back to 2005 and have more to do when I get some time Read more...

August 2017

I started on Blip on January 10, 2010 thanks to a suggestion by Pilipo and Connections that I try Blip. I've missed four days since then. I have also been back blipping so that I can look at my lifetime before I joined Blipfoto. I am back to 2005 and have more to do when I get some time.

I live in a wonderful area of the United States, the Pacific Northwest. And I enjoy sharing photographs of the area and of the antics of the birds who visit our bird feeders.

Big changes in my life: on May 14th my sweet husband Arvin passed away after a long decline due to Alzheimer's. His last four months were spent living in a wonderful memory care place called Silverado. In those four months he moved very quickly through the end stages of his disease. I think when he realized he was there to stay and was not returning home he made the decision, deeply and unconsciously, to leave as quickly as he could. He spared himself many months of decline and saved the family from watching and experiencing his losses as the disease continued to rob him of his life.

I am so proud and respectful of Arvin for the impeccable way he handled his disease. For most of the time he remained his sweet, loving, unselfish and wonderful self. He never stopped loving his family and friends. He was my soul mate and best friend and I will miss him always. But I am glad and relieved that his suffering is over and he is no longer losing himself to that awful disease.

If it weren't for the Alzheimer's Society of Washington in Bellingham, I would never have been able to stay on this journey. Their help has been invaluable. Arvin spent many days at Northwest Adult Day Health who gave him wonderful things to do, a place to be helpful to others, and lots of love and care. Without them I'd have not been able to keep going with my own life. Without that I'd never have survived the journey. And Whatcom Hospice was very helpful during Arvin's last days. They made it easier for me and kept Arvin free from pain. And my family and friends were so supportive through the whole process of the disease. I feel so fortunate to have such great supporting community around me.

Even though much of my recent time has been focused on my husband and keeping our home going, I was fully aware of the need to keep my own life satisfying and full. And I still am. So I am still an artist. I paint regularly at the Trish Harding School of Art. You can see my paintings on Artist at Play. And I am still taking photographs every day. You can see more of those on my Flickr site and on Chaikins of Bellingham. And most importantly, I am still staying close and spending as much time as I can with family and friends. Life is still rich and good.

And last but not least, I am finally going to downsize and move to a smaller house. On July 4th, 2017 I found the perfect place to move, a small cottage style condominium. I have been spending many hours going through 27 years worth of stuff, picking out what goes with me and what goes into the large estate sale. That will happen late in September and then it will be time to say goodbye to our home since 1990. I will be starting a new era in my new small space. It still includes a guest room, so you blippers who are traveling to the Pacific Northwestern part of the US, keep visiting me in mind.